Portable display-stand.



W. SGHWEITZER & H. H. LABADIE.

PORTABLE DISPLAY STAND.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1913.

Patsnted Mar. 3, 1914.

71% w i wa Elli UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SCI-I'W'EITZER AND HARRY H. LABADIE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE DISPLAY-STAND.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM Sorrwnrr- ZERand T'TARRY H. LABADIE, citizens of the United States, and residents ofthe city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, havejointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in PortableDisplay-Stands; and we do hereby declare that the following descriptionof our said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheetof drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which willenable others skilled in the art to which our said invention appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to improvements in portable displaystands, and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiarcombination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter firstfully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustrate our saidinvention more fully, Figure 1 is a perspective view thereof. Fig. 2 isan end elevation of the device as collapsed. Fig. 8 is an insideelevation of the collapsing means.

Like parts are indicated by corresponding symbols and characters ofreference in all the figures of the drawings.

The old fashioned method of efi'ecting sales by the exposition ofsamples in original packages, containers, or the like is rapidlybecoming obsolete. For instance, in crackers it has been the practice ofdisplaying a number of cartons of each of the various kinds in the showwindow or upon the counter. Again in candies practically the sameprocedure has been followed, 2'. e. that of opening a number of boxesand exposing the contents to View. Coffees, cereals, dried fruits, andother analogous articles have been similarly displayed from timeimmemorial. An efi'ective display requires room, time, and taste;elements not always present. Therefore, the hodgepodge appearance ofstock in the average store is a familiar one.

It is the essence of our invention to produce a display stand in which afew samples of each class of, say, baked goods, for instance, may beneatly arranged in a series of trays which are adapted to be elevatedinto almost a vertical plane, whereby the entire line is instantlyplaced before the view of the customer. These stands may be em-Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 9, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914..

Serial No. 733,920.

ployed for every class of staples sold in a store, and when collapsedoccupy but very little room upon the show case or counter. Yet, at thesame time, the unique method of simultaneous display of an entire line,as effected by these stands, immediately attracts and rivets a possiblepurchasers attention and produces a favorable impresslon.

Another valuable application of this stand is in the exposition ofsamples of suitings by tailors. At the present time a tailor possesses anumber of cards containing samples of the various goods, from which itis often a hard matter for the customer to select. Then follows a triparound the shop examming the various styles in the bolt. All thisrequires time and must be figured in the selling cost of the goods.Withour stand, however, it is simply necessary to place the same upon alow elevation properly arranged before a mirror and the stand whollyelevated. In each of the trays are contained all of the patterns of aparticular fabric, each sample large enough for proper display. All theshades and designs of the various fabrics being thus simultaneouslydisplayed and reflected by the mirror, it is much easier for thepotential purchaser to make a comparison and selection; resulting in aquicker sale.

Traveling men visiting the wholesaler will also find this stand of greatadvantage, in asmuch as it can easily be inserted into a telescope case;as quickly extracted therefrom, and with one movement of the hand theentire line may be placed before the purchasing agent.

The essential feature of our invention rcsides in means whereby anentire row of connected, horizontally arranged, superimposed trayswhich, when in collapsed position, may, by a: single lift of the hand,be elevated to, and disposed in a practically vertical plane, and whenso elevated, will be automatically locked in such position. And includedin aforesaid means, are co-related devices whereby another slight liftof the hands will break such lock and permit the trays to collapse bygravity.

To better understand our invention, reference is now made to Figs. 1, 2and 3 which discloses the preferred mode of construction, in which Arepresents the base of our structure, which base may be a solid block ofwood neatly beaded along its perpendicular edges to present a pleasingfinish, or which may be in the form of a tray, Fig. 1, for the receptionof advertising literature descriptive of the goods displayed. Directlysuperimposed upon said base when our device is collapsed, are anydesired number of trays B. C. D. E. F., etc. Fixed to tray F on bothends thereof, near their upper edges, are narrow, metallic bars 1;similarly attached to trays E. D. and C are bars 2, 3, and 4c, thedifference between the said bars and bar 1 being that the first namedextend practically the entire width of their respective trays while thlast indicated extends only a short distance beyond the transversecenter of tray F as-clearly seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 8. All of said barsare fastened to their respective trays at points equidistant from thetransverse medial point by rivets 5, so that a perpendicular drawnthrough one of the rivets will pass through all in that particularseries. Fixed to the base or tray A are similar bars 6, which are offsetat one end as at 7 to form open jaws 8 between said bars 6 and the endsof tray or base A.

Attached to tray B in position similar to the others are bars 9 providedat one free end with right angled downwardly pending projections 10which fit into the jaws 8 and are pivoted therein by rivets or studs 11.Pivoted to the forward end of bars 1 of tray F, to the longitudinalcenter of bars 2 0f tray E, and to the rear ends of bars 3 of tray D,are floating links 12. Connected in a similar manner to the front end ofbars 2, center of bars 3, and rear ends of bars t, are like links 13;and likewise connected to the front ends of bars 3, center of bars 4,and rear ends of bars 9 are links 14. Connected to the front end of bar4: and center of bar 9 are links 15. Connected to the cen ter of bars 1and rear ends of bars 2 are links 12, the whole producing lazytongs Llocated adjacent and attached to both ends, respectively. of the traysB. C. D. E. and F. Referring now to the last and lowest connecting links15, it will be observed that they are only connected to the front endsof bars 4 and to the center of bars 9. Beyond the pivotal points on saidbars 9, said links have right-angled, upwardly extending projections 15,to the free ends of which are pivoted forwardly declined links 16, whichlinks are offset at 17 to reach over horizontal bars 18 on base A, andare pivoted thereto at 19. It is now to be noted that the plural hasbeen employed in referring to the various links and bars, the reason ofthis being that the parts at the opposite ends of the trays are trueduplicates of each other, both individually and as assembled mechanism.

The process of extending our device into display position may now bedescribed as follows: Assuming the stand in the collapsed position, asin Fig. 2, all that is required is to lift up on tray F, when all theothers will follow, due to the floating connecting links therebetween,the motion being that of the usual lazytongs. But, the last named,lowest link 15 having the freely, oscillating, right angled projection15 connected to bars 18 on the tray A by links 16, will cause the tray Bto rotate about the pivots 11 until the joints or pivots 19, 20 and 21are in direct alinement, when a perfect toggle lock is pro duced, whichretains the trays B. C. D. E. and F in a relatively perpendicular planeor in what is known as the display position. In order to collapse thetrays a slight forward pressure is applied at K, Fig. l to swing thetray F forward sufiiciently to break the aforementioned toggle-lock,whereupon the trays will easily return to their collapsed position.

lVhile herein we have disclosed the preferred mode of practising ourinvention, we reserve the right to make such changes and alterations asmight suggest themselves to the skilled mechanic or permitted under thedoctrine of mechanical equivalents.

Having thus fully disclosed our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure to ourselves by Letters Patent of the United States:-

1. A display stand including a base and a series of display containersnormally superimposed thereon, lazytongs adjacent the opposite ends ofsaid containers, which ends are connected to members of said lazytongs,the lowermost member of each of said tongs being hingedly connected tosaid base and the next to lowermost members pivoted to said lowermostmembers, the free ends of the said next to lowermost members being linkconnected to said base, whereby when said lazytongs are being extended,said tongs and their connected display members are caused to swingaround said hinges on said base into a practically perpendicular planeand locked there against collapse.

2. A display stand including a base and a series of display containersnormally superimposed thereupon, lazytongs connected to each of saidcontainers at the opposite ends thereof, the lowermost members of whichlazytongs are hinged to said base, links pivoted to said base and to thenext-to-lowermost members of said tongs, whereby when said containersare elevated, toggle locks are formed by said links andnext-to-lowermost members, preventing the collapse of said tongs.

3. A display stand including a base and a series of normally,horizontally disposed display containers superimposed thereupon,lazytongs comprising a plurality of pivotally connected members attachedto and supporting said containers at the opposite ends thereof, thelowermost members of which lazytongs are hinged to said base, and meansconnecting the next-to-lowermost members of said tongs and said base,whereby when said tongs are extended, the same and said containers areforced into an essentially vertical plane and locked there against 001-lapse.

4. A display stand including a base and a series of normally,horizontally disposed display containers superimposed thereupon,lazytongs comprising a plurality of pivotally connected members attachedto and supporting said containers at the opposite ends thereof, thelowermost members of which lazytongs are provided with dependingextensions hinged to said base, neXt-to-lowermost members of said tongs,said members having right-angled extensions at their free ends, linksconnecting said extensions and said base, whereby when said tongs andsaid containers are elevated, toggle locks are formed by said links andsaid next-to-lowermost members, preventing the collapse of said tongs.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SCHWEITZER. HARRY H. LABADIE.

In the presence of LAWRENCE lVILsoN, J r., HILLIARD O. STARK.

copies 0! thil patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addreningthe Oommlnloner of Patent, Waehlngton, D. G.

